


hold on (just a little longer)

by demonicneonfishy



Series: february angst-fest (febuwhump 2021) [25]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Car Accidents, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Major Character Injury, Temporary Character Death, he's. uh. he's fine!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:15:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29701122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonicneonfishy/pseuds/demonicneonfishy
Summary: He’s bleeding out, excruciatingly slowly, and he doesn’t know if he’ll die before Joe reaches him.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Series: february angst-fest (febuwhump 2021) [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2141784
Comments: 5
Kudos: 173





	hold on (just a little longer)

**Author's Note:**

> day 25 of febuwhump 2021  
> prompt: car accidents

It’s going well, until it isn’t.

Nicky had left to go get groceries, because they’d arrived at a safehouse that hadn’t been used in years yesterday, and they’d ordered takeout that night, but now they need actual food. So Nicky had volunteered to go. Joe had wanted to come with him, but he kept falling asleep on the couch, so Nicky had gone on his own.

It’s dark outside, and the road is still slick with the rain from earlier. It happens in a split second - one moment he’s driving, the next he’s gone off the side of the road. He barely has time to react before his head hits something and the world goes dark.

* * *

Nicky wakes to burning pain in his stomach and dried blood on his face. He looks down to see a sharp sheet of metal buried in his stomach, blood staining his shirt, and all he can think is a quietly surprised _oh._

He reaches for his phone, hoping it’s undamaged. The screen lights up when he turns it on, and he dials Joe’s number.

It’s a good thing this road is fairly quiet - if someone finds him and calls an ambulance and he heals in front of them…

Joe picks up on the second ring. “Nicky?”

“Hi,” he says. His voice is weak, too weak. “There’s been a small delay.”

“What happened?” Joe asks, and Nicky can hear how worried he is, can imagine him pacing around the room with the phone pressed to his ear, brow furrowed. 

Nicky takes a deep, rattling breath. “Car went off the side of the road. Nobody’s found it yet, but…”

Joe swears under his breath. “Are you okay?”

“Not exactly.” He takes another breath. He can’t heal with the metal in his stomach, and he can’t move enough to get it out. 

So he’s bleeding out, excruciatingly slowly, and he doesn’t know if he’ll die before Joe reaches him.

“Piece of metal got me in the stomach,” he says. “I can’t get it out.”

Joe swears again. “Okay. Okay, we’re on our way. Just try to hold on.”

“I don’t know… how long I can.” 

“Don’t hang up, okay? Keep talking. We’ll be there as soon as possible.”

“Okay.” He doesn’t think Joe will make it to him in time. He’s going to die at least once before he gets out of this.

At least the car isn’t on fire. He’s been in that situation before, and it’s horrible.

“We’re going to need new groceries,” he says, as if it’s a normal conversation.

Joe almost laughs. “The groceries are the least of my concerns.” He hears a car door slam in the background, and then an engine starts.

“We should get ice-cream, next time.”

“What flavor?”

“I don’t know.” It’s getting harder to breathe, and his vision is darkening at the edges. “Ask Nile what flavor she wants.”

“She says chocolate,” Joe responds after a moment.

“That’s… that’s a good choice.”

“We’re almost there,” Joe reminds him. “Hold on for me. Please, hayati.”

“I can’t.” His voice is barely a whisper now. 

“Just a little longer, Nicky. Stay with me.”

“Trying.” He takes another too-shallow breath.

“Nicky, come on. Say something.”

He tries. He can’t.

“Nicky?”

* * *

He wakes to Joe kneeling in front of him, saying his name over and over like it’s a prayer. He lets out a sigh of relief when Nicky opens his eyes. 

“Hey,” Nicky says, his voice hoarse.

Joe smiles, tears in his eyes. “Hey yourself.”

“I’m sorry.”

Joe pulls back, tracing the spot where the cut on his temple had been. “You don’t need to apologise, I’m just… you scared me.”

Nicky leans forward to press their foreheads together, closing his eyes. “I’m here.”

**Author's Note:**

> i nearly left this on a cliffhanger but decided that would be mean so. he's fine!  
> -  
> i'm demonicneonfishy too if you wanna come say hi!! (or yell at me for the angst)


End file.
